The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Nasarawa State, Senator Ahmed Aliyu Wadada, has called on his main opponent in the just-concluded primary in the state, former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu Abubakar, to remain in the party and help advance its fortunes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) had announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) after losing the APC primary to Senator Wadada.
He also directed his supporters to join him in his new party in a bid to actualise his governorship ambition.
However, speaking during a thank-you visit to Governor Abdullahi Sule in Lafia, Senator Wadada said the former IGP would be better off in the APC than in another political platform.
He drew a parallel between Adamu’s situation and his own experience in 2018, when he lost a primary election but chose to remain in the party and even chaired the campaign council that delivered Governor Sule’s victory.
“I conceded defeat in 2018/2019. I did not only concede but also submitted myself to both the party and the government. That culminated in my spearheading the campaign council that delivered our proud engineer, Abdullahi Sule,” Wadada recalled.
“I call on him to learn from me, because I have been in the political terrain before him. If he does so, he will not be doing it for Wadada but for Nasarawa State.
“We have no state other than Nasarawa State. We must join hands and put our heads together to take Nasarawa to the promised land,” Wadada said, adding that the door remained open and the party was large and accommodating for all.
Receiving the delegation, Governor Sule described the occasion as historic, noting that every future Day of Arafat would be remembered as the day Wadada led his team to Government House to express gratitude.
“Today, we are here once more to celebrate our candidate for the governorship election, Senator Ali Wadada, whom I have always said, inshallah, is the next governor,” Sule declared to cheers from the gathering.
The governor also congratulated all APC candidates who emerged from the primaries at various levels, including President Bola Tinubu, who he said secured close to 12 million votes at the presidential primary.
Governor Sule used the occasion to address concerns about post-primary tensions, urging party members to approach political opponents with restraint rather than hostility.
“All those who are contesting against us are not our enemies. They also believe in Nasarawa State and want to contribute. So, as we approach them, let us do so with caution, not hatred. Let us approach them with love,” he said.
The governor, while speaking on his expectations of Wadada, promised that he would not interfere in his administration except where necessary.
“It is not my responsibility to start appointing people for him. He knows the people he knows. He should be able to do that on his own without my interference. But he will hear from me if he is not doing the right thing. I will intervene not as his predecessor, but as his elder brother and a proud citizen of Nasarawa State,” Sule said.
He expressed confidence that Wadada would surpass his own achievements in office, noting that while his first four years were constrained by limited resources, Wadada would have the advantage of a more stable foundation.
“My prayer is that he comes in and does more than I have done. When I came in 2019, my first four years were very challenging due to limited resources. His own, by God’s grace, he is coming into eight years of resources. Therefore, he will be able to do more,” the governor added.
